In Littleton, it's Brown for Senate

Scott Brown beat Martha Coakley in Littleton in the midst of a “tremendous” turnout, said Town Clerk Diane Crory.

The Tuesday election for the U.S. Senate seat left vacant after the death of Edward Kennedy brought out an almost record turnout of about 67 percent of the town's 6,142 registered voters.

Brown, a Wrentham Repubican, bested Attorney General Coakley in each of Littleton's three precincts. The state senator got 2,389 votes to Coakley's 1,859, while Libertarian candidate Joseph Kennedy (no relation to the late senator), received 22 votes.

For comparison, Crory said the 2008 Presidential election elicited 5,100 votes to this week's 4,271.

The campaign was short. A primary was held in November following Kennedy's August death.

Coakley was considered a shoo-in until a couple of weeks ago when Brown's anti-Washington, anti-health care message caught fire among the electorate.